BENGALURU: After COVID cases emerged out of educational institutes, with at least 55 out of 386 plus cases reported so far stemming from schools, the education department is yet to discuss the closure of educational institutes.
Reports suggest that there have been 281 cases in SDM Medical College, Dharwad (until two days ago), over 50 nursing students of two private colleges in Mysuru are reported to have tested positive in the state’s educational institutes. 13 from government residential schools Hassan, in the recent.
In addition to this, Minister of primary and secondary education BC Nagesh confirmed that the residential school in Bengaluru that had 33 cases now has 42 cases.
Talking to TNIE Nagesh said that there has been no discussion by the department on school closures, nor a discussion with the Technical Advisory Committee on the same.
However considering the global situation, Prime Minister Modi has spoken to the chief minister and all department heads to be cautious, and the Chief Minister has done the same, he added.
Meanwhile, testing will continue at borders. “We are watching the schools carefully, as they have not been vaccinated."
As for students who have to cross borders and come to schools in Karnataka, he said, the majority of them come for higher education and are told to get an RTPCR test every seven days. “Not even a single student or elderly tested positive in Dakshina Kannada, it's astonishing,” he said.
For school students who come from across the border, he said “Schoolers are not forced to get an RTPCR. But testing has been done on students as well.”
“Many schools have tested their students,” He recalled that recently one lakh persons tested were administered in Tumkur district, and positive cases were almost nil, he added.
The Technical Advisory Committee is supposed to have advised the Chief Minister on Monday, whatever decision is taken by CM will be followed, he added.
The minister hoped that no adverse events take place, "After 1.5 years education has started, we are not able to still give quality education, students have forgotten many things. Quality of students will improve and we can pray that nothing (adverse) happens in the meantime," he said.